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We've had a chance to play with the new Google Android-powered Samsung Nexus S. It's a nice phone, but it's nothing special. And given its weak distribution, it's no threat to Apple or the iPhone.

Sure, it's the newest, latest, and greatest Android-based phone. But that's all it is. There will be another newer and better Android phone announced in a few weeks, and then another one a few weeks after that, and before you know it, no one will care about the Nexus S. There's nothing surprising or amazing here.

Sure, it was designed with some help from Google. But does that actually make it better? Google is a search and advertising company, not known for its design ability -- and with no history of designing great hardware.

Worst of all, its distribution -- the most important thing in the mobile industry -- is currently weak: It's only available with 3G service from T-Mobile, which means it's not going to sell that great. T-Mobile has about 34 million subscribers; Verizon and AT&T each have over 90 million. The Nexus S would sell better if it were available at all of the major U.S. carriers, or at least at one of the two majors. But it's not, and there's no reason to believe it will be.

So it's no threat to the iPhone, or really any "good" Android phone on other carriers.